Reclink Players Celebrate Community at Wollongong World Cup

Through Reclink’s partnership with the FIFA Foundation, participants from Reclink’s football programs had the opportunity to take part alongside hundreds of players from refugee and multicultural communities at one of Australia’s leading community football tournaments, held during Refugee Week.

Football Bringing Communities Together

Guided by the 2026 Refugee Week theme, “A Million Stories,” the tournament celebrated the journeys, cultures and contributions of 280 participants representing 27 cultural communities across the Illawarra, Western Sydney, Newcastle and Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Across 28 teams, including 20 men’s and 8 women’s teams, players came together to celebrate community, connection and the unifying power of football.

The event celebrated the rich diversity of the communities involved, with participants representing Afghan Hazara, Assyrian, Burmese, Chin Hakha, Congolese, Ethiopian, Indian, Iranian, Israeli, Iraqi, Karenni (Burma), Kurdish, Lebanese, Samoan, Serbian, Syrian, Swahili, Tibetan, Uruguayan, Yazidi, Zomi (Burma) and many other cultural backgrounds. The majority of participants shared a lived experience of seeking refuge.

More Than a Football Tournament

For many participants, including Reclink participants, football was only part of the experience.

The tournament creates opportunities for people from refugee backgrounds to build friendships, strengthen wellbeing, celebrate their cultures and feel part of a wider community.

The event was delivered through the collaborative efforts of four key partner organisations: STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors); Multicultural Health – Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District; Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI) and Reclink Australia.

The success of the event was further strengthened through the involvement of a broad network of community organisations, including Settlement Services International (SSI), Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Grand Pacific Health, Australian Red Cross, Kateb Hazara Association, Dai Cultural Association, Sydney Water, Wollongong City Council, MAX Solutions, Pacific Sports, Afghan Fajar Association Incorporated and the University of Wollongong.

Supporting Inclusion Through Sport

For Reclink, supporting the tournament aligns strongly with the organisation's partnership with the FIFA Foundation, which focuses on using football to improve social inclusion, wellbeing and community participation for people facing barriers to sport.

"The continued growth of the Wollongong World Cup is a testament to the collective spirit and unity of purpose shared by our partner organisations, volunteers and participating communities," said Jarrod Galbraith-Marten from Reclink Australia.

"The event highlights the enormous contribution that people from refugee backgrounds make to our vibrant multicultural society while providing a welcoming environment where everyone can connect through football," Mr Galbraith-Marten said.

On-Field Success for Reclink Teams

Reclink participants also enjoyed an outstanding tournament, with the men's team crowned Competitive Division Champions and the women's team reaching the semi-finals.

Individual achievements reflected the values that define the tournament, with Reclink players receiving the following awards:

• Golden Gloves (Men): Ali
• Golden Gloves (Women): Sylvia
• Spirit of the Game (Community): Abdullah
• Spirit of the Game (Women): Narges

Tournament Impact Backed by Results

The impact of the event has been consistently demonstrated. An independent evaluation of the 2025 tournament found:

• 92% of participants said they had fun.
• 92% felt part of a larger community.
• 89% said they had the opportunity to showcase their skills.
• Four in five participants felt their culture was celebrated.
• Social connection was the most common benefit identified by participants.

The evaluation also highlighted that many young people travelling from regional communities had rarely travelled outside their hometowns in the previous six months, making the tournament an important opportunity to reduce isolation and build connections across communities.

Looking Ahead

As Reclink continues its partnership with the FIFA Foundation, we look forward to supporting more community-led initiatives like the Wollongong World Cup, and working alongside local organisations to remove barriers to participation and create more opportunities for people to connect and thrive through sport.

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